One of teacher’s alleged victims tells her side of the story

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - A teacher returned to work for a couple of days after being accused of groping a student at Burke County High.

In the police report, we found the latest incident that happened at Burke County High School. That’s where Scott Hooker is accused of groping a female student about a month ago.

Just this week, he was arrested for that incident, charged with suspicion of improper sexual contact by an employee, sexual battery, and simple battery.

As we dug deeper, we found another complaint filed against him. Incident reports out of Columbia County show a pattern of allegations with 40-year-old Hooker. On Feb. 14, 2017, deputies were called to Evans High School in reference to a sexual assault.

“There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think about stuff that has happened,” said Madison Cooksey.

Cooksey is the juvenile listed in the report who stated Hooker inappropriately touched her at school.

“I was petrified, to the point that I couldn’t go back to school. I didn’t feel safe, and I didn’t want to be there,” she said.

Two months later...

“I was on the verge of failing,” said Cooksey.

After those two months, Cooksey returned back to Evans High School, where Hooker was still employed.

In the incident report, Cooksey’s mother told deputies, Hooker was not allowed to have any contact or be near Cooksey, but he would go out of his way to cross paths with her and stand next to her.

“He would come into my classrooms to ask my teacher a question throughout the day in different classrooms, match our paths in the hallway and stare at me or come up to girls I talk to at lunch,” she said.

She ended up transferring to a different school in the district. No charges were filed against Hooker.

“It’s just not something that I would wish on anybody,” she said.

Cooksey says after all these years, she finally feels heard.

“To the people who say she’s lying, or that this is all coming out when the other case is coming out. I didn’t have a chance, or I tried to put my story out there, and nobody wanted to pay attention. I’m putting it out now to help people. To help people who are in my situation that aren’t heard,” she said.

According to the Burke County School System, he’s entitled to due process before unpaid leave is imposed.

“The school district would never knowingly compromise the safety and well-being of students,” Superintendent Dr. Angela Williams said in a statement. “Once the complaint was filed, the employee was immediately placed on administrative leave pending investigation and is not currently working on campus. We have cooperated fully with the appropriate governmental agencies in connection with this investigation and will continue to do so. Any additional information will be released by law enforcement.”

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